Concrete construction.



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CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION- 1n: uaRR'ls PETERS co., wnsmuanm, v, c.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 9. 1903.

F. MELBER. CONCRETE GONSTBUGTION. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9,1903.

Patented 0ct.27,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES a, WASfIINGTON. n c

FREDERICK MELBER, OF ROSS TOWNSHIP, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Original application filed July 11, 1903, Serial No. 165,089. Dividedand this application filed November 9, 1903.

Serial No.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MELBER, citizen of the United States, andresiding at Ross township, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements inConcrete Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my application for Letters Patentfiled by me on July 11th 1903, Serial Number 165,089, and consists,generally speaking, in certain new and useful improvements in concreteconstruction relating to girders and load bearing members.

My invention is more particularly shown in connection with road bedconstruction wherein a separate foundation is provided for each wheelwayWhile the central roadbed is composed of a filling of other material. Ialso show means whereby sections of my construction may be united thusenabling me, if I so desire, to mold my members at any convenient placeand in units convenent for transportation, and then place them inposition and unite them on the permanent site of the construction intoan integral whole.

While I prefer to use, for the purposes of my invention, concrete orcement wherein the strains, which cannot be properly or safely assumedby the material are taken up by means of metal reinforcement embeddedtherein, I may use if desired concrete alone, but I find that byproperly combining the concrete and metal not only is the strength ofthe construction greatly increased but a great saving in material iseffected, thus lessening the cost of the work.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a broken perspective of asection of my improved roadway; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of a formof union between stringer and girder; Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively aplan and prespective of a form of recess used in the application of myinvention; Figs. 5 and 6 are broken views showing modifications of theconstruction of Fig. 1 Fig. 7 is an en larged detail of the constructionshown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an end view showing a modifioation of theform of stringer and Fig. 9 is an enlarged inverted plan showing theform of recess used in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 shows a modified form ofattachment of stringer and girder; Figs. 11 and 12 are end views showingforms of stringers used on curves, and Fig. 13 is an inverted plan viewshowing the form of union used in this connection; Fig. 14 is a planview of a union aperture showing the protecting plates; Figs. 15 and 16are end views showing modified forms of stringer constructions; Figs. 17and 18 are enlarged views showing a modification of the unions; Fig. 19is a broken perspective showing a modification of the mounting blocks,and Figs. 26 and 21 are res ectively an end view and plan view of a moification thereof.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings :11 arestringers which form the wheelways between which the road bed, 2, iscomposed of clay, macadam, paving or other suitable material, asdesired.

The preferrred form of stringer is that shown in Fig. 1, which iscomposed of a horizontal web or Wheel tread portion, 3, a vertical webor support 4, a horizontal flange 5 integral with support 4, and atransverse rib or ribs, 6, integral with wheel tread 3 and support 4. InFigs. 5, 6 and 20, I have shown the stringer provided with two verticalsupports 4, one at each side of the Wheel tread. Where a solidfoundation is obtainable by excavating the earth, I prefer to lay mystringers directly on the ground, the same being filled up level withthe outer edge of the stringers and inclined therefrom to provide properdrainage. In such case I provide a cross strap or connection, 6 of metalengaging at each end a rod 4 sufficiently embedded in the material ofstringer to obtain the necessary adhesion. By this means the stringersare maintained in proper alinement. The stringers and other parts of myconstruction may be cast in molds on the site in continuous lengths ormay be cast in sections in convenient sizes and united by any convenientmeans on the site as by the forms of unions hereinafter described.

Where a solid foundation cannot be conveniently obtained, I prefer toprovide cross girders, such as 7 or 7 having lateral flanges 7 7 uponwhich the stringers 11 are placed. I prefer to make these girders Ushaped, the girder 7 being inverted U shaped. I find that it is usefulto increase the vertical thickness or depth of my girder at the centeras at 8, or depress the ends thereof as at 8", thereby preventinglongitudinal movement thereof when in place. In the girder 7, underneaththe point of contact with stringer l,

I fill out the vacant center of the girder with a cross rib 9 to providesufficient room for my union recess or aperture. Any convenient methodmay be resorted to for the union of stringer to girder.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I form in rib 9 of the girder a recess 10, having twoopposin sides upwardly tapering. 11 is a meta lic rod or member embeddedin the material of the rib adjacent to and surrounding the aperture 10to prevent fracture and injury of the material. I insert into the recess10 a bolt 12, head downwards, and between the bolt and the inclinedsides of the recess I place the key plates 1313 so that the bolt cannotbe drawn from the recess without the removal of the key plates. Thestringer is now put in place with the shank of the bolt 12 extending upthrough a hole in the flange 5. A washer 14 is now placed on said shankand the nut 15 screwed down uniting the stringer firmly to the girder.In the case of girder 7 a simpler form of union may be used consistingof the bolt 12 passing through registering holes in flange 5 and flange7 To the right in Fig. 6 I illustrate a modi fled form of the union inwhich the recess 10 has but one inclined face. Seated in said recess ismember 16 of metal having its upper extremity hooked as at 17 to engagethe flange 5 of the stringer. The said member 16 fits rather loosely insaid recess and is provided with its side adjacent to the inclined sideof the recess inclined at a slightly greater angle than that of therecess. A key plate 13 is introduced and driven down between theinclined faces of the member 16 and the inclined face of the recess thusbinding the member in place.

In Figs. 17 and 18 I show a modification of the tapered recess union inwhich the member 18 is formed with a hook on each end extending inopposite directions. The upper hook engages the flange 5 of stringer 1 wiile the lower hook occupies the bottom of recess 10. 19 is a wedgeblock adapted to rest against member 18 in recess 10 and 20 is a reversewedge block adapted to be driven in between wedge block 19 and theinclined side of recess 10. In case shortage of space prevents thewedges being placed as shown in Fig. 17 where the wedging action is inline with the hook member 17, the wedges may be placed as in Fig. 18. InFig. 1 I have shown such wearing surface attached to the stringer bymeans of unions 23 described and claimed by me in my former patentapplication above referred to. 2424 represent a plurality of integralprojections extending laterally from the stringers 11 for the purpose ofengaging the wheels of vehicles and aiding the same in mounting onto thestring ers 11. By projecting as they do beyond the line of thestringers, they prevent ruts being worn in the road adjacent to thestringers. In Fig. 1 I have shown them of regular outline but they maybe of any form fitted to engage the Wheels as the irregular form shownin Fig. 19. In case the stringer is of considerable height, I prefer toprovide two or more series of mounting projections, 24 24 and 24 24rising in height as they approach the stringer, so that the wheels arestepped up to the proper level without much resistance, as in Figs. 20and 21.

Along the outer edge of the stringer I prefer to provide a raised wheelretaining edge 25 to prevent the slipping of the wheels off thestringers. As a great deal of wear is exerted against this edge by thewheels, I prefer to provide it with metal protection 26 which in Fig. 1is shown in form of an angle iron. A form of union is shown in connection with this metal protection which I find of great value inconnecting concrete members together but which is for the sake ofclearness shown in the attachment of the metal wearing surface to theretaining edge. An irregular shaped aperture is formed through theportion 3 of the stringer, con sisting of a rectangular portion 10 and aportion 10 whose sides are upwardly tapered as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Awooden Wedge block 27 is inserted in aperture 10 and moved laterallyinto aperture 10 wherein it is temporarily held by means of a crow barinserted through aperture 28 in portion 4 of the stringer. The spike 29is now driven down into block 27 engaging with its head the angle iron26.

In Figs. 5 and 10 I show a hooked shaped washer, 30, engaging the angleiron 26 and held in place by bolt 31 passing through stringer. In Fig. 6the angle iron is pierced by the bolt 31. Other forms of attachment areshown in Figs. 19 and 20. In Fig. 8 an aperture 32 is formed throughstringer 1 of sufficient size to admit the bolt 31 but the lower portionof said aperture is partially closed by a plate 33 having a slot 34 ofsufficient size to admit the shank of bolt 31. After said bolt isinserted in said aperture, it is moved laterally until its head engagesthe under side of said plate 33 thus preventing the withdrawal of thebolt. is then attached to the bolt as before.

In Fig. 11 I show the use of the metallic reinforcement of the retainingedge on curves where the wear is greatest as the Wheels tend to mountthe retaining edges. In such case I may seat the angle iron '26 as shownby means of bolt '31 while a secondary protecting edge 35 is held inplace by means of the angle iron 26 and special means at its lower edge,as a shoulder in the stringer as shown in Fig. 11. In Fig. 12 I showthese two portions of the retaining edge made into one integral plate,the top edge of which is secured by washer 36 on bolt 37, while thelower edge is retained by hooked member 38 The angle iron 1 which issecured in aperture 39 in stringer 1 by means of wedge block 40 andwasher 41 retained on the member by key 42 passing through a hole insaid member.

In Fig. 15 the wearing surface is composed of a bar of rhomboidal shapeembedded in the retaining edge and its smaller face exposed to wear.Another form of wearing surface is shown in Fig. 16. 4343 are metalplates which I prefer to provide for insertion into the apertures usedas unions to line the walls and protect the same against wear.

From the above it is evident that my invention consists in an advance inthe concrete construction art, especially as it relates to roadbed work.

Many minor modifications will present themselves to those skilled in theart but I regard the same as within the scope of my invention and desireto claim as follows 1. In concrete construction, a load bearing memberconsisting of a horizontal web, a vertical web integral therewith and ahorizontal flange integral with said vertical web, substantially asdescribed.

2. In concrete construction, a load bearing member consisting of ahorizontal web, a vertical web integral therewith and a transversevertical web integral with said horizontal and vertical webs,substantially as described.

3. In concrete construction, a load bearing member consisting of ahorizontal web, a vertical web integral therewith, a horizontal flangeintegral with said vertical web and a transverse vertical web integralwith said horizontal and vertical webs, substantially as described.

4. In concrete roadbed stringers, a horizontal trafic bearing web, awheel retaining flange along the edge thereof and a vertical supportingweb integral with said horizontal web, substantially as described.

5. In concrete roadbed stringers, a hori zontal traflic bearing web anda reinforced wheel retaining flange along the edge thereof and integraltherewith, substantially as described.

6. In concrete roadbed stringers, a horizontal traffic bearing web, areinforced wheel retaining flange along the edge thereof and integraltherewith and a vertical supporting web integral with said trafficbearing member, substantially as described.

7. In concrete roadbed construction, a horizontal trafiic bearingstructure and wheel mounting projections integral therewith andextending for their full height beyond the lateral plane of saidstructure.

8. In concrete roadbed construction, a horizontal traffic bearing memberg and descending series of integral mounting projections extendingbeyond the lateral plane thereof, substantially as described.

Signed at Pittsburg, Penna, this 28th day of October 1903.

FREDERICK MELBER.

Witnesses:

EMELINE BUTTER, EDWARD A. LAWRENCE.

